Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) Health Services is providing an update on temporary impacts to services at acute care facilities in St. John’s (Health Sciences Centre, Janeway Children’s Health and Rehabilitation Centre and St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital) due to the ongoing wildfires. Some services are being postponed this week due to the impacts of evacuation alerts and orders related to the wildfires.

All impacted patients are being contacted and rescheduled as soon as possible. Please be advised that for the remainder of the week:

• All urgent and emergent surgeries, as well as cancer and cardiac surgery are proceeding; elective and day surgeries will be postponed.
• Urgent endoscopy services are proceeding; non-urgent outpatient endoscopy procedures will be postponed. 
• Clinic appointments are proceeding unless patients are contacted to advise differently. Where feasible, some clinic appointments will proceed virtually and patients will be contacted if this applies to their appointment.  

All services and appointments will continue to be assessed throughout the week and updates will be provided if needed. 

NL Health Services would also like to reassure the public that urgent and emergent health-care services are continuing at this time and the emergency departments remain open.

Patients with a medical emergency who require an ambulance should call 911. Those who feel they have a serious or urgent medical problem should proceed to the nearest emergency department. If you are unsure if you should go to the emergency department, please call the 811 HealthLine or click here.

811 HealthLine is also available 24/7 to provide:

• medical advice (including virtual nurse practitioner appointments);
• health information; and
• support in a mental health crisis.

For more information, please visit: https://www.811healthline.ca/.

For the latest health-care updates during wildfires in the province, please visit https://nlhealthservices.ca/news-centre/wildfire-information/.

For the latest information on wildfires in Newfoundland and Labrador, please visit the provincial government webpages NL Active Wildfire Dashboard and www.gov.nl.ca/alerts.

-30-